Chillingham Road Primary Sing their Hearts out for the NHS
Students from Chillingham Road Primary School were filmed singing on school grounds the day before school closures as a way of showing their support for NHS workers.
The children were singing the song ‘Something Inside So Strong’ by Labi Siffre, which initially had been learnt for a concert in Ouseburn last year. Head Teacher Ben Wassall believes that this song gives the children a powerful voice as it is “ultimately about the underdog who through real determination and ambition finally succeeds.” He felt that the song is fitting as workers in the NHS may be the underdog against the current threat of Coronavirus, but this sends the message that if they persevere they will succeed.
The idea for the performance came from Mr Wassall who said “sometimes we just need to sing.” He identified that there was a high volume of parents who were key workers who were working within the NHS as well as giving the staff and children something to do together before the school closed and many would not be in school. The primary pupils were also encouraged by Year 2 Teacher Miss Common to make banners which had messages of support for the NHS to be held up at the performance with some of these reading ‘thank you’ alongside a variety of positive messages. The school are slowly releasing more videos with the cover of Tender by Blur being the most recent released.
Mr Wassall said: “Outside my office door is a print by local printmaker and campaigner, Theresa Easton; it says ‘Alone we are powerless-together we are strong.’” This message is important for individual schools to stick together but it is also for all teachers across the North East region. Now everyone needs to support each other. The North East has always been stronger together.
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